Promises, Promises!

Introduction

I want to begin with a reading from a short story called "Exodus" by James Baldwin.

She had known this story, so it seemed, from the day that she was born. For it had been the will of God that they should hear, and pass it, thereafter, one to another, the story of the Hebrew children, who had been held in bondage in the land of Egypt; and how the Lord had heard their groaning, and how His heart was moved; and how He bid them wait but a little season till He should send deliverance. And while life ran, rising in the morning before the sun came up, standing and bending in the field when the sun was high, crossing the fields homeward while the sun went down at the gates of heaven far away ­ hearing the whistle of the foreman, and his eerie cry across the fields; in the whiteness of winter when hogs and turkeys and geese were slaughtered and lights burned bright in the big house, and Bathsheba, the cook, sent over in a napkin bits of ham and chicken and cakes left over by the white folks; in all that befell, in her joys ­ her pipe in the evening, her man at night, the children she suckled, and guided on their first short steps ­ and in her tribulations, death, and parting, and the lash; she did not forget that deliverance was promised, and would surely come. She had only to endure and trust in God.

The word was fulfilled one morning before she was awake. There was a great running and shouting everywhere outside. As she opened her eyes to the light of that day, so bright and cold, she was certain that the judgment trump had sounded. While she still sat, amazed, and wondering what, on judgement day, would be the best behavior, in rushed Bathsheba, and behind her many tumbling children, and field hands, and house niggers, all together, and Bathsheba should, "Rise up, rise up, Sister Rachel, and see the Lord's deliverance! He done brought us out of Egypt, just like He promised, and we's free at last!

Bathsheba grabbed her, tears running down her face; she, dressed in the clothes in which she had slept, walked to the door to look out on the new day God had given them.

I read James Baldwin's words this morning to remind us that a covenant is a holy promise. In this story, God fulfills a covenant with slaves and frees them. In another story, in the Jewish Bible, God tells the people that every rainbow in the sky is a promise that the sacred is with us, and always will be.

As a non-creedal church, covenants have special importance for us. In the book The Devotional Heart, the Reverend John C. Morgan reminds us that "within the Unitarian tradition, covenants have been the means by which people have gathered together and called themselves a church for more than three hundred years." In the Universalist tradition, he continues, "covenant theology has been the guiding principle."

He describes a covenant as "the significant promises people make to each other and what they consider the ultimate in the context of their religious community."

Perhaps the most visible and most well known covenant we have are our Unitarian Universalist principles and purposes. They were drafted in 1984, after an extensive grass roots process, and modified at the 1995 General Assembly.

In November, 1997 the Unitarian Universalist Association appointed me as your new congregation minister and in December that year you affirmed that appointment. Last Spring we celebrated a covenant between your Board of Trustees and me. This morning we celebrated the covenants your Board, the Religious Education Committee, and I have made with your Director of Religious Education.

As Mary Ann Goff said, the next step is to complete the covenant process by creating yet other covenants.

Covenants grow out of vision and mission. This morning we will revisit the founding vision of this congregation. We will also hear how our present mission statement aligns with this vision. I've asked three of the original six people who first envisioned this congregation to tell their stories this morning. The original six were Jean Akers, Audrey and Charley Barcelo, Gretchen Bremer-Hosken, Lee Dary, and Julie Smith Dary. Gretchen, Charley, and Julie are going to be the story tellers.

Barbara ­ Gretchen, what was your initial vision?

Gretchen ­ gives a BRIEF answer to the question, including reference to 7-day-a-week church building and being a full service church.

Barbara ­ You six were joined by 33 others, who also helped to found this church. Did they share your vision? If so, how did they demonstrate their covenant with you to bring this vision into being?

Gretchen ­ [answers]

Barbara ­ Your vision was large, by any standards ­ ambitious, even. Charley, is Community Unitarian Universalist Church living up to your original expectations?

Charley ­ gives a BRIEF answer to the question, pointing out how many different groups (including Parents Without Partners) are using the church at this time.

Barbara ­ How did you go about finding this particular location?

Charley ­ gives a BRIEF answer to the question, talking about the 29 sites investigated ­ including some which would have been Sundays only sites.

Barbara ­ How did you ever get Nova Village to give you a lease on this place?! Community Church hadn't even held one worship service yet, so you had absolutely no track record.

Charley ­ gives a BRIEF answer to the question, sharing that several folks co-signed a note guaranteeing the lease ­ a significant commitment per family.

Barbara ­ Julie, you, Jeff Blass, Joe Gallagher, Jay Matthews, Pat Hardee, Margaret Bailey and Mark Lane guided the recent process, during which you drafted your mission statement. How does your church's mission statement compare to the original vision?

Julie ­ gives a BRIEF answer to the question, indicating that the current mission statement is in concert with the original vision.

Barbara ­ Julie, I've heard that it takes $100,000 of outside money in the first five years for a new congregation to grow into self-sufficiency. This church will receive about $50,000 from the Unitarian Universalist Association over its first five years. That leaves about a $50,000 hole. I know the district has dreams to create an endowment fund to help new congregations. But right now there is no district endowment fund. This is the first year in your brief history you've had to support a full operating budget ­ including the lease for a seven-day-a-week facility, a full time minister, and a half time director of religious education. Are you going to make it?

Julie ­ gives a BRIEF answer to the question ­ stating she believes we will (it's part of the vision!) but that the congregation is struggling with a $25,000 projected deficit right now. She also talks about the decision making process ­ that the congregation will be informed and consulted. Letters have gone out to all voting members. There will be an informational meeting after church today. Etc.

Barbara ­ I expect a lot of people in the Unitarian Universalist Association -- staff, ministers, and people in other congregations ­ are interested to see how Community Church overcomes this crisis. Gretchen, you serve on the Florida District Extension Committee. Tell us about the other new congregations in our district and how they're doing.

Gretchen ­ gives a BRIEF answer about how all new congregations struggle to close the gap between costs and income in their early years ­ states a few particulars about Spirit of Life and River of Grass.

Barbara ­ At this time last year Jerry King, a capital campaign consultant spent some time with our board, discussing how we would go about acquiring our own space. Given the advice he gave the board, how long would you say it will be before we can expect to be in our own facility?

Charley ­ gives BRIEF answer.

Barbara ­ If people here today want more information or have suggestions ­ either about how to help overcome our deficit or our vision ­ how should they communicate their concerns to the board.

Gretchen ­ Invites people to (1) stay afterwards for Souper Sunday lunch and discussion; (2) speak to a board member (asks board members to stand); and/or (3) come to the next board meeting on Tuesday, March 9th.

Conclusion

Growing a church is not easy. Many of you come thinking that you are going to be comforted. Hopefully, you do find comfort and welcome. However, you also find challenges ­ often greater than you expected. It takes enormous effort and commitment to build the beloved community. Each of you will be called at some time to contribute your time and your talents, your messages and your money, your concerns and your caring, our leadership abilities and your learning abilities. The rewards are great. If you are faithful in your task of growing a church, you bring healing to our broken and imperfect world.

Let us remember our commitment to this community by saying together our mission statement. You'll find it on page six of your order of service insert. Afterwards, we will sing together "Spirit of Life," Hymn 23.